I need you to check this.When you boil it down.Is the correct stages to Anapanasati Meditation.Thank you

Anapanasati Steps

These steps happen naturally as concentration sharpens and mindfulness becomes more prevalent.

The experiences detailed here cannot be forced, and trying to do so may prevent them from happening.

0) Preparation The preliminary exercises to establish concentration.

The First Tetrad - Calming the Body

1) Breathing in and out, be aware that the breath is long Breathe, and watch the sensations at the tip of the nose. There is no need to be obsessed with how long a long breath is. If you watch the breath in a relaxed way, it will lengthen naturally.

2) Breathing in and out, be aware that the breath is short This may not occur naturally and does not affect progress to the next step. It is recommended that you experiment with forcing the breath to be short to understand how it feels in comparison to the long breath.

3) Breathing in and out, be aware of all bodies Entry to this stage is often accompanied by an easing of the effort required to meditate - it becomes very enjoyable and easier to sit. While breathing naturally, the breath will lengthen and an experience will arise of how the breath is affecting, or conditioning, the physical body. It is sometimes suggested that concentration be extended to include feelings within the body in tandem with the sensations of breathing at the tip of the nose.

4) Breathing in and out, calm the breath While breathing, the breath will become finer and more refined naturally. An image may appear in the mind, positioned at the tip of the nose where you are concentrating. The focus of concentration can then be shifted from the breath to the image. This can lead to a stage known as the first jhana where strong pleasant feelings arise.

The Second Tetrad - Calming the Feelings

5) Breathing in and out, be aware of the flavour of piti Piti is a Pali term for the strong pleasant feelings that have now arisen. This is a similar principle to stage 1, though with a different meditation object. In time, the rather coarse feeling of piti subsides into a more subtle feeling.

6) Breathing in and out, be aware of the flavour of sukha Sukha being the term for the more subtle feeling. Take this as the new object of meditation.

7) Breathing in and out, be aware of the mind conditioner Just as the breath conditions the body, so piti and sukha condition the mind. Alow the experience how they do this to arise.

8) Breathing in and out, calm the mind conditioners Using the newly experienced understanding of the feelings, calm them.

The Third Tetrad - Contemplating the Mind

9) Breathing in and out, contemplate the character of the mind. Is the mind free from anger, aversion or greed? Is the mind distracted or not? Is the mind in a superior state or not?

10) Breathing in and out, delight the mind. Using the understandings of the feelings, generate delight in the mind. This frees the mind from anger, aversion and greed.

11) Breathing in and out, concentrate the mind. A mind free from anger, aversion and greed will achieve higher levels of concentration.

12) Breathing in and out, liberate the mind. By contemplating the penalties of attachment and the value of non-attachment, allow the mind to cease grasping.

The Fourth Tetrad - The Supreme

13) Breathing in and out, contemplate impermanence. Returning to step 1), progress through all steps remaining aware of the impermanence of every stage.

14) Breathing in and out, contemplate fading away Being aware of any remaining attachments, allow them to dissolve.

15) Breathing in and out, contemplate the cessation of attachment. Be aware of the process of the quenching of attachments

16) Breathing in and out, contemplate 'throwing back' In the cessation of attachment, be aware that there nothing that was attached to was 'ours' in any way, and allow it all to be returned to nature.

I read the third step as telling us to combine the breath and the rest of the body into a single percept while breathing in and out, in order to facilitate the fourth step, which is to calm involvement with that whole percept mass.

Yana wrote:4) Breathing in and out, calm the breath

8) Breathing in and out, calm the mind conditioners

12) Breathing in and out, liberate the mind.

I see this process, then, as basically one of calming involvement within one or another of these first three frames of reference, i.e. as getting attention in tune with the sankhara operative within a particular frame in order that they may be let go of. Note that the second tetrad refers to citta-sankhara, while the third tetrad refers to citta.

The fourth tetrad, then, is an attitude of contemplation which facilitates jhana at that time.

The progression is from doing satipatthana (and, thus, anapanasati) with thinking and perusal, then a perusal fueled by some experiential momentum, then a non-cognitive sort of observation.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]

Daverupa wrote:I see this process, then, as basically one of calming involvement within one or another of these first three frames of reference, i.e. as getting attention in tune with the sankhara operative within a particular frame in order that they may be let go of.

Yana has followed the interpretation, established by Bhikkhu Buddhadasa, who said:

I would like to take this opportunity to discuss all the meanings of the term "sankhara." This is a very common and important word in the Pali scriptures, but many people have problems with it due to its different uses and meanings. Languages are like that, uncertain and seemingly unreliable.

The single word "sankhara" can mean "conditioner," the cause that conditions; it can mean "condition," the result of the action of conditioning; and it can mean "'conditioning," the activity or process of conditioning. We use the same word for the subject of the conditioning, "the concocter," as well as the object, "the concoction." We even use it for the activity, "the concocting," itself. The correct meaning depends on the context. This knowledge will be valuable in your further studies.

In step three, the aim is to experience all kaya, all bodies. The essence of this step is to feel all bodies while breathing in and breathing out. We already began to observe while practicing the beginning steps that the breath is the conditioner of our flesh-and-blood bodies. We contemplate more distinctly the fact that there are two kaya (bodies).

The breath is a body in that it is a group or collection. The flesh-body is a kaya because it is a group or collection, also. There are these two groups or bodies. One group is the breath that conditions the flesh-body group. Analyze this experience to see distinctly that there are two groups. And see how they condition each other. Contemplate this more and, more emphatically until it is obvious.

The specific aim of this step is that we must know that there are two groups and that one group conditions, nourishes, and supports the other group. The breath group nourishes the body group.

When the breath is coarse the flesh-body gets aggravated and when the breath is fine the body calms down. In this step, we emphasize this secret until it becomes absolutely clear.

These bodies condition each other in this way. The body which is the causal conditioner is given the name kaya-sankhara (body conditioner) to distinguish it from the other, the one effected by the conditioning, the “conditioned body."

See them arise together, fall together, coarsen together, become fine together, grow comfortable together, and become uncomfortable together. Realize how intimately they are connected.

This is what is meant by "seeing all bodies," Watch both bodies together and see them condition each other.

Now we come to step seven: "experiencing the mind-conditioner (cittasankhara-patisamvedi)." If we have completed step six successfully, then we know all about the feelings of piti and sukha. What does the arising of piti do to the citta? What does the arising of sukha do to the citta? What kind of thoughts does piti condition? What kind of thoughts does sukha condition? We have noted and scrutinized these effects since steps five and six. Once we come to step seven, it is easy to realize that, "Oh, piti and sukha are mind-conditioners." These vedana are mind-conditioners in the same way that the breath is the body-conditioner. The method of study and observation is the same as in step three.

We have observed that piti is coarse and excited, whereas sukha is fine and peaceful. Thus, when piti conditions or brews up a thought, the thought is coarse. On the other hand, when sukha brews up a thought, it is calm and tranquil. This is how we realize that the vedana condition thoughts. Then we realize that the feelings condition both coarse thoughts and subtle thoughts. We call this activity "conditioning the mind."

When piti is strong, it causes trembling in the body. And if it is very strong the body might even dance or bounce with joy. This feeling is coarse and powerful. On the other hand, sukha is calming, soothing, and relaxing. We learn that their characteristics are very different. When piti dominates the mind, it is impossible to think subtle thoughts. We feel a tingling all over; it makes the hair stand up all over our bodies. Sukha, however, has advantages. It leads to tranquil, refined states. It can cause subtle, profound, and refined thoughts.